


The Way We Are

by alabasterclouds, celestialskiff



Series: Storm Clouds and Sunshine [1]
Category: Leverage, Veronica Mars (TV), Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: Age Play, Alternate Universe, Crying, Cuddling & Snuggling, Diapers, Distrust, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Littles Are Known, Non-Sexual Age Play, Pacifiers, Thumb-sucking, Wetting, alternate universe - littles are known
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-10-02 06:21:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17259158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alabasterclouds/pseuds/alabasterclouds, https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestialskiff/pseuds/celestialskiff
Summary: On a stake-out, Veronica finds herself in a bad position - wet, hungry, and cold. Things look grim - until her mark offers to help her out. A Veronica Mars/Leverage AU - in which Littles are a part of society.This series is a collaboration between alabasterclouds and celestialskiff, in which alabasterclouds writes the Veronica Mars characters, and celestialskiff writes the Leverage characters.Warning: this is an ageplay story and as such, we'd appreciate it if you'd read the tags. Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

It was a cold and wet night, very odd for Neptune, California. Usually Veronica didn’t have to run the heat in her beat-up old Chrysler LeBaron, but tonight she alternately turned it on and off to keep herself from shivering. Her stakeout tonight was long, cold, and boring. Her mark hadn’t moved for at least an hour, and Veronica was tiring of waiting.

Though she’d never admit it, stakeouts were getting more and more arduous. At this age, she should be out of diapers. She was 18, and she definitely didn’t think she was a Little. But Veronica was struggling. She refused to admit that she might not be ready to stay dry all day yet. Well, nix all day - try for at least a few hours alone! She was wet and cold, leaking often as not, and while she could handle it - and did just fine, thank you - it was harder on nights like this, where she had to wait hours in one place with no access to food, water, dry clothes, or a dry diaper.

Veronica sighed and chewed on the edge of her thumb. She had to stay focused. Giving into her annoying Little urges wasn’t going to help her catch this criminal, an elegant woman named Sophie Deveraux. This mark was smart and fast, and Veronica was beginning to feel as if she wasn’t getting anywhere with her. She’d been tracking Sophie for three nights, but tonight was harder than ever, and Veronica was tiring of waiting for Sophie to do something.

Veronica shifted uncomfortably in her seat and re-angled her camera at Sophie. She had just wet her pants - unexpectedly too, dammit - and her jeans were soaked as her pull up leaked into her thankfully plastic-covered seat. With the cold wind coming through the open window, she started to shiver. Even her heavy hoodie, pulled up over her blonde hair, wasn’t keeping her warm tonight. She quietly turned the heat up, but the old Chrysler’s heating system sputtered a bit and then blew cold air. Great.

To top it off, she was hungry. Her stomach growled audibly, and she suddenly wished she was at home in the apartment. Though her dad was away, it would be warm and dry, and she’d at least get to make herself a hot meal.

She angled the camera again towards Sophie, who didn’t seem to be doing anything but impatiently waiting outside the building for someone. Sophie was lovely, standing elegantly and calmly. Her calm behaviour annoyed Veronica, who squirmed again, starting to feel a bit bothered with being so wet and waiting for so long. Something hot to drink and a fresh diaper and pair of pants would be amazing right now, she thought.

And at that thought, she felt her nose ache and a lump rise in her throat. Usually if she was this unfocused, she’d give up and go home, climb into a warm bath and relax, then get into cozy pajamas and her nighttime diaper. Her dad sometimes allowed her to snuggle with him under a blanket on the couch, watching a movie. She usually didn’t push her stakeouts past her limits like this, but she didn’t want to give up on Sophie. She was drawn to her. Her usual indifference towards marks seemed to have evaporated with this woman.

As the time ticked on and the Chrysler continued to blow cold air, Veronica let out an audible sniff, and a tear ran down her cheek.

Veronica watched Sophie pull out her phone and seem to sigh. The elegant woman in the pretty dress shifted her weight and looked around, her roving gaze suddenly locking in on Veronica. Veronica quickly ducked her head, but her sensitive ears picked up the sound of expensive heels clacking on the asphalt. No. Sophie couldn’t have seen her, could she?

Veronica stole a glance upwards and saw Sophie walking deliberately towards her. Fuck, fuck! She was usually good about not getting caught on stakeouts. Don’t panic, she told herself. Don’t react.

But her lower lip trembled uncontrollably, and she drew back from Sophie as she walked over. The last thing she wanted was for this mark to see her as weak and amateurish! The cold wind blew in and caught her wet pants, and she shivered, then humiliatingly, shiveringly, she started to cry.

Sophie, now at the car, knocked gently on the window, ducking her head so that she could see Veronica more clearly. "Sweetheart? Is there anyone I can call to pick you up?"

Veronica froze and stared at Sophie. Up close, Sophie smelled like Chanel perfume and expensive shampoo. She also had a beautiful face, with warm, lovely eyes. It was clear that she was in no way a Little - probably a Caregiver, decided Veronica. Sophie’s voice was calm and clear, and Veronica felt heat rise on her cheeks at its gentle cadence.

She frowned, trying to gain back the vestiges of control she always had in situations like these. No matter if Sophie was a Caregiver or not, Veronica was here to do a job. She straightened her back and tightened her hands on her camera. It didn’t matter that she just wanted to go home and crawl into a hot bath and then bed. It didn’t matter that her body was responding to Sophie’s Caregiver aura - and that she would have at this point given anything for someone, anyone, to hold her and change her diaper and make her warm and safe again. Even if it was a mark!

She shook her head, her hoodie falling back to expose more of her tumbled blonde hair. “I’m fine. I don’t need anyone to do anything. Go away.”

There, that sounded firm, she thought. But then she hiccupped, and a few sobs escaped. Dammit all to hell! Why did she have to be so, well, Little right now? She should just drive away and tell her father that Sophie didn’t hold anything useful for the investigation, even though it wouldn’t be true. But it had to be better than this embarrassing interlude.

She snuck a look up at Sophie, whose expression hadn’t changed. If anything, Sophie now looked slightly amused. And Veronica felt a twinge in her bladder and then a sudden damnable warmth in her pants. Really? Now?

Maybe Sophie hadn’t noticed, even though Veronica could hear the slight hissing as she wet herself, despite the traffic noise in the background. She kept her eyes on her lap. But soon, she heard Sophie shift at the window, and the older woman sighed a little.

Sophie’s voice was soft as she spoke. "You're doing really well. I can see you're a big girl. But sometimes even grown-ups need a little help, and you don't look very comfortable right now. Maybe you'd like to come to a diner with me? We can get you cleaned up a little, and some food. We'll be somewhere public, and you can call anyone you want."

At her sympathetic words, Veronica suddenly wanted nothing more than to be enveloped in the Caregiver’s arms, cuddled and changed and fed. She so very often resisted these biological urges - there were a few Caregivers at school that radiated the same safe energy Sophie had right now, and it had taken everything she had to not be drawn in and give into the way her mind and body seemed to be programmed.

Truth be told, Veronica wished she was a Caregiver or just a Neutral, but it just didn’t seem to be the case. She’d started showing Little tendencies early, and her father, who was a Neutral, just didn’t understand the intense need to be cared for. If she came home like this, he would change her and probably allow her to cuddle, but he wouldn’t make sure she was totally okay. He just didn’t see the need. Veronica was 18. She was old enough to care for herself.

And she was so wet and cold. But she knew that trusting a criminal was a bad idea. She’d been in way too many bad situations in her life she knew better than to trust Sophie. Even if the mark did think she was Little, for some reason.

Veronica tried for firm again. “Thanks, but I’m okay. I’ll get home on my own. You don’t need to do anything. Just keep walking.” Maybe Sophie would think she was a Neutral that just had a bad situation. It was dark and cold, surely Sophie didn’t know she was wet? And she wasn’t about to move in this condition anyway.

But her chin wouldn’t stop its telltale quiver. The woman had literally caught her red-handed with the camera. And now she just felt sleepy, and hopeless, and everything was just SO much …

She yawned suddenly, her grip on her camera loosening. It slipped with a crash onto the car floor.

Veronica gasped. That could have broken it, and she certainly didn’t have money to replace such an expensive and necessary tool for her work. Veronica heard herself whimper, as if from very far away, and she leaned forward to grab the camera, noticing it seemed to be fine. But as she moved, the wetness contained to her bottom spread - she was sitting on a literal puddle, oh god - and soaked into the thighs and crotch of her jeans. Right in front of Sophie.

Great. Just great.

Sophie must have noticed her wet pants by now. And after a moment, Veronica heard the calm English voice come again, this time with a note of firmness that she didn’t miss.

"My name is Sophie. I have a Little called Parker, and we live in Portland. I know you're on a stakeout because you think I'm a criminal, and you don't have any reason to trust me."

Sophie sighed, then, and Veronica looked up into her dark eyes, and saw sincerity. After a moment, Sophie went on. "But right now, all I want is to make you comfortable, because I think you're too Little to be safe on your own. Could you tell me your name?"

Veronica gazed back at Sophie’s kind eyes and finally gave in. “You are a criminal. And it’s my job to stake out people like you.” She sighed. “My name is Veronica. Veronica Mars.”

She flushed as she saw Sophie’s eyes going immediately to her wet pants. “This doesn’t always happen,” she choked out, her voice wobbling dangerously. “I’m not really Little. Most of the time I’m just fine.”

She realized that she sounded ridiculous. It was clear from her very voice and the way she couldn’t control herself that she was appearing as Little. In a world where Littles were rarer than Caregivers, Neutrals, or other classifications, Veronica pushed herself to seem big at all times. But right now she couldn't make herself speak in her usual snarky, know-it-all tone. And she was just so uncomfortable . . .

Veronica hated herself for this, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “I don’t have anyone to call. I don’t have anyone who cares for me and my father is away for a few nights.” Her lungs suddenly caught with another sob, and her voice broke. “I can get home, but I don’t know if I can fix all this.”

And then she covered her face with her hands in shame. Really, Veronica? Was she a lost puppy or something?

But Sophie didn’t seem to mind. She leaned against the car, her voice gentle. "Veronica," Sophie said softly. "That's a beautiful name."

Sophie’s face was sympathetic. Veronica snuffled and tried to get herself under control. Sophie spoke again.

"It's OK not to know what to do," she soothed. "Let's just take this in easy steps. Could you get out of the car for me, Veronica? There's a diner not two minutes away where you can clean up a little, and I think your tummy is empty. Do you have any spare clothes in your car?"

Veronica blushed. Okay, this was getting bad. She wanted Sophie to put her arms around her and rock her so badly. It was all she could do to not hold her arms out to her, like she’d seen other Littles do. 

Though she wasn’t even sure that she was Little, Veronica wanted so much sometimes to just give into her urges. But she knew her dad would just lose respect for her if she admitted she could be Little, and so she pushed those feelings down. He constantly made cracks about changing diapers and heating bottles when talking about criminals he’d had to deal with. Many Littles got themselves into trouble because society wasn’t accepting, and jobs for Littles were hard to find.

Veronica shook her head and then let out an audible sob. “I can’t get out. Everyone will see,” she whimpered. “You’ll see, too. And,” she sniffled, trying to pull herself together, “this almost never happens. I’m just not feeling well or something. I’m really fine.”

She could see from Sophie’s expression, still so kind and warm, that the lady didn’t believe her - and then Veronica realized that she had a Little, she’d mentioned, and that she was probably used to all this and that she could see through Veronica as clearly as a glass window.

So, Veronica just looked at her lap. She wanted to eat so badly, and she knew there was a spare pair of gym track pants in her trunk. She gave into Sophie.

“I don’t have any other pull ups,” she whispered. “But I have dry pants in the car.”

Sophie was looking at Veronica with a mixture of affection and amusement, a bit strange, thought Veronica, since she’d only met her a few moments ago. But Veronica had heard that Caregivers just knew what to do. Sophie’s next comments confirmed that.

"You know, I've seen plenty of wet trousers," Sophie said. "And it doesn't shock me. Accidents happen. They're not your fault. The only thing that bothers me is knowing you're so uncomfortable."

Veronica smirked a little at Sophie’s reassurance that she’d seen wet pants before. Most people had in this world; it wasn’t uncommon to see a wet Little desperately trying not to be seen. While Veronica was often wet, she was also good at hiding, and so far, only her nearest and dearest had seen her wet and crying. She supposed she lived up to all the Little stereotypes tonight.

Sophie leaned towards Veronica, and Veronica had a mad urge to grab her hand. She managed to control herself and crossed her arms. Sophie went on.

"I have a nice dry diaper in my bag, and combined with your dry trousers, we can make you comfortable in no time. We can even wrap my coat around your waist, so no one will see."

Sophie’s soft, clipped voice was soothing, and Veronica finally nodded, feeling a little surprised at how prepared Sophie was for something like this, and how unprepared she, Veronica, was! She quietly unlocked the car door and stepped out, shyly.

The first thing Veronica noticed was that Sophie was tall, though it didn’t take much to be taller than Veronica. She had a calm presence and didn’t seem at all like she was inconvenienced. 

Veronica kept her back to the car, and stood a bit defensively, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her blonde hair fell into her eyes, and she looked up at Sophie through it.

“Okay. I’m out.” Veronica wouldn’t look at Sophie. “But don’t try anything. I might be wet but I’m tough.” She peered up at Sophie, who seemed a bit amused. “You’re not off the hook.”

Veronica curled into herself and looked down to survey the damage to her jeans. She was soaked visibly almost to the knee, and she knew her entire backside was saturated. She surreptitiously tried to peel her wet jeans away from her skin, which now was stinging badly, and sighed.

But Sophie wasn’t judging. "Oh, you poor darling," she murmured, and Veronica thawed a little at the warm words. Sophie looked very sympathetic, and after a moment, she stroked Veronica's cheek gently. Her voice was soft.

"You're doing so well. Let's get your pants and get out of here, all right?”

Veronica’s blue eyes widened as Sophie stroked her cheek, but instead of pulling away, she just let it happen. It was so, so refreshing to be touched like that - Veronica almost never got cuddles unless she was with a boyfriend. Sometimes she just wanted to be held all night and rocked. She would wrap herself in her blanket to try to simulate it, but she never was able to feel better. 

"Oh, but first . . ." Sophie took her coat off and wrapped it around Veronica’s shoulders. "As promised," Sophie said. "This covers you up and should keep you a little warmer until we get you clean."

Sophie’s coat smelled sweet and like her expensive perfume. Immediately Veronica was concerned. “Oh, I can’t,” she mumbled. “I’m too messy.” But the weight of the coat felt good, and the woman’s soft English accent and warm demeanour made Veronica feel more at ease. 

Without thinking, she slipped her hand into Sophie’s for a moment, then let go once she realized what she was doing.

Veronica felt a little better now covered up. She opened the trunk of the car and pulled out the pair of grey gym pants. They weren’t exactly clean - she had probably leaked in them at least a little - but they would do. Her jeans were so uncomfortable.

She came back to Sophie and looked at her a bit mistrustfully - but then held out her hand to the elegant woman, hoping she would take it and take over.

And Sophie did. She squeezed Veronica’s hand soothingly and made a tsking noise with her tongue.

"Your hand is so cold! Don't worry, darling, we'll get you warm in no time. Let's get you changed as quick as we can." She took the grey trousers from Veronica and added them to her bag, then gently tugged Veronica’s hand in the direction of the diner across the road.

Veronica was now more than drawn to Sophie - she had the familiar feeling of wanting to please her and not be any trouble. Veronica had never had any true female role models or caregivers, and something in her cried out for it. Her father did his best, but Veronica missed having someone who cared for her without expecting her to be responsible all the time, as Keith did.

She clung tightly to Sophie’s hand, trying to keep up with her long strides. Sophie slowed down a little for her, squeezing her hand soothingly again.

"Don't worry, we'll be there soon, and we'll get you warm," Sophie kept up a soothing patter as she led the way. Her quiet voice was comforting, and Veronica squeezed Sophie’s hand back.

As they arrived at the diner, Veronica uncharacteristically pressed against Sophie and ducked her head so that her hair covered her face. This wasn’t a part of town she knew well, but you never knew who knew whom in Neptune. And she was feeling shy, even though no one could see her wet pants now.

The smell of fried food made her stomach ache, and she couldn’t help whimpering a little as it growled again, loudly. Luckily, she had money enough for a quick meal, and meant to send Sophie on her way once she was warm and dry again.

Sophie led them towards the bathrooms at the back, and Veronica felt her shyness grow. Only her father had changed her diaper before. She didn’t even bother going to the nurses’ station anymore to be changed at school, since she didn’t want anyone to realize she had Little tendencies. Veronica was suddenly painfully modest about what Sophie might see, and unconsciously tugged on her hand, reluctantly letting Sophie pull her along.

At the door to the bathrooms, Sophie touched Veronica's cheek once more to get her attention. Veronica was not used to being touched, and she jumped a little. But she didn’t mind. She turned her eyes up to Sophie’s. The older woman spoke gently.

"I'd like to help you get changed, Veronica, but only if you're comfortable with that. I know it's scary to let a new person help you, but I think you're going to have a hard time doing it all by yourself.” She paused. “You don't have to say anything. If it's okay for me to help you, just nod and I'll get you dry as quick as I can."

Veronica pressed against Sophie again in embarrassment and nodded quietly. She really wanted Sophie to give her a big hug, and she was a little surprised at how fast she was letting down her guard. Well, if the woman wanted to hurt her, she was going about it in a strange way.

Lots of people were fully against Littles, such as the woman who suddenly barged through the bathroom door, almost knocking into Sophie, and glared at Veronica for standing in the way.

“Move already,” the woman snarled. “Always in the way, aren’t you?” She pushed Veronica into Sophie and stormed away.

Usually Veronica took this stuff in stride, but now she started to sob, something breaking inside her. Unconsciously she put her arms around Sophie and wailed, “I can’t do it. I need help.”

She was so sore and upset, but Sophie was here. She felt herself letting her guard down all together. 

“It hurts,” she whimpered, feeling at a loss and just so wrong.

But Sophie didn’t seem to mind Veronica’s loss of control. She glared at the rude woman, and then just gathered Veronica into her arms, caressing her cheek and hair soothingly. Sophie murmured, "It's all right, darling. I've got you."

After Veronica had gotten a better hold on her emotions, Sophie gave her another comforting squeeze and led her into the bathroom, which was small and a bit dirty. Veronica usually tried to avoid public bathrooms altogether. They never did have a good set-up for diaper changing and changing with her back up against the toilet stall wall was highly uncomfortable. But Sophie, though Veronica noticed a slight wrinkling of her nose at the dank smell in the space, didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she seemed like she had been in such a situation before, Veronica thought.

"I'm going to help you out of these icky jeans, all right, little one, and then we’re going to take off this pull-up. It's all wet, isn't it,” Sophie murmured to Veronica. Veronica whimpered, feeling ashamed, and Sophie hummed soothingly.

"Nothing we can't fix, sweetheart. I'm going to get your bottom nice and dry, and then we're going to put on a nice cozy diaper. How about that?"

Veronica clung to Sophie, feeling better already as the elegant woman’s gentle hands smoothed back her tumbled hair. Sophie just seemed to know what to do.

As Sophie changed her, Veronica whimpered a few times. Her bottom was sore - she could see it in the mirror - and she cursed herself for sitting as long as she had in her wet pants. She knew better than to let it get this bad. Sophie was gentle, but it still stung badly, and Veronica couldn’t keep the tears back. She was being a regular crybaby today!

She rested her hands on Sophie’s shoulders as the woman helped her off with her soaking jeans and pull up. There was a strong smell of urine and Veronica was ashamed. She bent her head, letting her hair cover her face, and whispered, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry . . .”

Sophie brought out what looked like very expensive moisturizer and began gently applying it to the sore places on Veronica’s bottom. Veronica appreciated it, as the cool cream soothed the sting, but she also knew that the cream was never meant to be used as a luxury diaper cream and after a few applications, she moved away in embarrassment, and stood half-naked in front of the sink in the room, feeling very embarrassed in front of the elegant Sophie.

“I can put the diaper on myself if you want,” she murmured, her voice sounding very rusty and small. She knew this woman had done plenty for her tonight, especially since Veronica didn't even have her own supplies. Veronica just felt awful, but also very grateful and a little comforted.

“Thanks,” she added, and then tried a little smile. It didn’t really work - her lip was too trembly - but she hoped Sophie knew that she appreciated all the trouble, especially since her own Little was probably waiting for her. Her dad was due to get back tonight, but Veronica wasn’t sure what time. She shuffled a little bit, her cheeks bright red.

Sophie made her comforting tsking sound and patted the small of Veronica’s back soothingly, her face a little amused.

"I'm sure you can manage the diaper yourself," she said, "but the tabs can be a little tricky, so let me do it this time." Her voice was kind, but firm, and Veronica knew she wouldn’t stand for any nonsense. She hoped Sophie didn’t think she was going to give her a hard time. But she didn’t know if it was right to let Sophie care for her this way. She shifted anxiously, and Sophie rubbed her back again.

"Humour me, okay?" Sophie asked. "Let me finish up here, and then let's get you something to fill you up. A chicken sandwich and a glass of milk sounds good to me."

Veronica let Sophie tape the diaper on her and her face relaxed. She felt better covered, and Sophie was so gentle and moved so slowly. As Sophie put on Veronica’s slightly smelly gym pants, Veronica let out a breath, and then she smiled. This time for real. Sophie gave her a lovely smile back.

"You're doing so well, darling," Sophie said encouragingly, and then patted the seat of Veronica’s diaper, which was thick and warm.

While Sophie washed her hands, Veronica looked sadly down at her jeans. They were an older pair, but she didn’t think she could get the smell of urine out of them without a few washes. She just picked them up and put them in the trash. Luckily, the grey sweats were warm and comfortable, as was her diaper.

Veronica had nighttime diapers - she wore one nightly - but they weren’t as nice as this one, partially because she couldn’t afford it. This one was pillowy and soft, and very thick, which made Veronica feel safe. She touched the bulge under her pants and heard the telltale crinkle, which made her blush brightly. She slipped a thumb in her mouth, feeling sleepy.

Sophie took her free hand and squeezed it comfortingly, leading Veronica out of the restaurant and into a booth. She slid in first – quite a feat in that dress, thought Veronica to herself – but when Veronica went to sit across from her, Sophie patted the seat next to her. Veronica didn’t really want to argue, so she just did as she was told.

The waitress came, but Veronica just stared at her lap. She didn’t really know what she wanted, or if she even wanted to eat. She heard Sophie order a simple chicken sandwich and a glass of milk, and then the waitress left.

Veronica’s stomach was aching badly with hunger, and now that she was clean and dry, she was desperately sleepy. She almost wished Sophie had a bottle to put the milk into, though Veronica hadn’t had a bottle in at least a year. Her father didn’t keep any on hand and hadn’t after they’d mutually agreed Veronica was past that stage.

Sophie waited until the waitress had left, then spread out three pictures in front of Veronica.

"This is Mr. Henderson. He's meeting with a Mr. Farrell, who has using kids to get drugs through airports. Mr. Henderson is my in to Mr. Farrell's accounts. I need to convince him to transfer a large enough sum that we can track it.” Sophie drew in a breath, looking down at the pictures. “I don’t know if you’ll be comfortable with this, but… What we do isn't legal, but it is moral."

Sophie sighed and shifted in her seat, looking a bit reluctant, thought Veronica. "I don't want to confuse things for you, little one. But you're sneaking around the edges of a very shady business and I don't want you to get hurt."

Veronica was a bit surprised at Sophie’s candour. It was rather ballsy to just tell her exactly what she was doing. She didn’t know Veronica from Adam.

Veronica picked up the photos to study them a bit more closely. She was well aware of the Farrell account mystery; what she hadn’t been aware of was Sophie’s involvement in the case. Veronica cleared her throat, eager to prove she knew just as much as Sophie.

“I already did a check on Farrell’s accounts. I can’t find the one where he’s laundering money, though. I thought you were the one helping him.” Veronica blushed, her voice sounding small and rusty. She was so incredibly tired, and leaned back against the diner’s green vinyl seat.

“These pictures are good,” she added. She wondered if Sophie had taken them herself.

The waitress came with the sandwich and milk, and without looking up, Veronica continued to study the photos while wolfing down the sandwich. It was surprisingly good, and for a moment she forgot Sophie was there, the ranch dressing smearing over her mouth and chin. She haphazardly wiped her face with the back of her hand and noisily drank her milk before she caught sight of Sophie’s face, which showed slight disgust.

Veronica flushed and gently set her milk back on the table, her eyes dropping in shame to her slightly stained gym pants. These really weren’t as clean as she had thought. Yuck. She guessed she was just a messy Little, no matter what she tried to do.

“Anyway.” She pushed the photos towards Sophie. “I’m sorry I was such trouble tonight.” She played with her hands a bit, longing to suck her thumb, and longing more for a warm bath and bed.

“I guess I better get going,” Veronica said, her voice low and shy.

Sophie shook her head, the amused expression crossing her face again. "You can't go yet, sweetheart. You haven't finished your sandwich." Veronica felt Sophie’s eyes on her sticky face, and she flushed. Sophie smiled, then took a napkin and gently wiped the dressing off Veronica's cheek.

"There," she said, and gave Veronica a little wink.

Veronica looked down at the remains of her sandwich and obediently ate the rest of it, then drank her milk. She smiled a bit as Sophie wiped her cheeks. She hadn’t had someone do that in a long time. Keith now reminded her if her face was messy, but he didn’t wipe it for her, and Veronica felt a glow of warmth and safety as Sophie did it almost without thinking.

Sophie examined Veronica with interest. "You have good intel," she said. "What's your line of work, Veronica? P.I.?"

Veronica’s face grew serious, but she was still a bit wary of Sophie. “I have my ways,” she answered instead. “I’ve been doing this for a long time.” She sat up a little straighter, hoping Sophie wouldn’t think she was silly. She had been doing it since she was at least 15.

Sophie smiled indulgently, her face giving nothing away. She certainly didn’t seem surprised at Veronica’s answer, the younger girl noted. Instead, she leaned across Veronica and picked up the menu.

“I see. How about some dessert?”

Dessert! Veronica tried not to eat too many sweets, but she loved chocolate, and tonight she felt a little more indulgent, being as she was so tired.

Veronica wriggled and bounced a little in excitement, and as she did so, she felt her bladder release a little bit, and marvelled at how safe she felt, wetting this diaper as opposed to her pull-ups, which certainly leaked more than they should. Maybe Sophie would know where to get better ones, thought Veronica, and then flushed a bit. That certainly wasn’t something she needed to ask Sophie! She’d already taken up enough of her time tonight.

So, her face fell a bit and she looked at her hands. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I’ve probably bothered you enough.” She started to slide out of the booth, but apparently wasn’t done wetting, as her bladder ached more urgently. She stilled on the bench as she flooded her diaper, her hands still in her lap, her mouth opened a tiny bit.

Wetting always caught her a bit by surprise. It was so strange to lose control so suddenly when everything else in her life was so controlled. But this wasn’t unpleasant. Her diaper grew warm and comforting. It was almost pleasurable. Veronica hadn’t thought about that before.

Sophie laid a gentle hand on Veronica’s shoulder. Her face didn’t change, but her eyes looked a bit knowing, and her voice was gentle. Veronica was sure that Sophie had seen her wet herself, and flushed a little. But Sophie just let out a pleasant little chuckle.

"You're not bothering me at all, darling," Sophie said. "It's been a lovely change of pace to spend the evening with you instead of the ghastly mark."

She rubbed Veronica’s shoulder again, and went on, her voice soothing.

"The only thing that would bother me is if you ran out right now and I had to worry that something had happened to you. Maybe you could tell me a little more about your work. It sounds like you're very good at it, especially for someone so young."

Sophie’s soft voice made Veronica feel safe. She stopped herself and slid back towards Sophie, and after a moment, she moved closer to her, so that they were touching. Sophie’s hand on her shoulder was soothing. She wished Sophie would cuddle her, though she knew that it wasn’t really safe to want that, nor should she want that from a perfect stranger.

But Veronica was a little surprised at Sophie being worried about her. They’d only just met. Was that what a Caregiver was like? Did they automatically worry about Littles?

“Nothing would happen to me,” said Veronica, trying for a confident voice and fearing she just sounded silly. “I’m always by myself. I’m a big girl.”

She realized at the last sentence that her behaviour tonight didn’t make her seem very big, and sitting in a wet diaper and lusting after chocolate didn’t either. She tried to pull herself together. “I mean, I usually take care of myself.”

Not that was any better! Veronica sighed. She was having trouble getting her words out tonight. She looked at her thumb, red where she had bitten it in a way to stop sucking. Since she knew Sophie wouldn’t mind, she slipped her thumb in her mouth and leaned against the seat again for a moment.

Then she heard Sophie’s question about her work - the second one. “I help my father. He’s a P.I.” That was all the info she wanted to give Sophie, but she found herself saying a bit more.“I do most of his intel. I’m pretty good at digging into where I shouldn’t.” 

It was a bit of a point of pride, and usually Veronica would sit up, her eyes sparkling. But tonight, she just found herself leaning more into Sophie.

The waitress came over and winked at Veronica. “What a sweetie! You’ve got such beautiful eyes, honey. Your mommy must be so proud of you!”

Ah, yes. The subset of people, usually Dommes and Caregivers, who could smell a Little from a mile away and tended to treat them as if they were mentally deficient. Veronica blushed and turned her face away shyly. Sophie wasn’t her mommy, not even close, but she wasn’t up to correcting that.

“Can I get you anything else? We have a chocolate shake special on - two for one.” The grey-haired waitress grinned at Veronica. “I bet I know someone who likes chocolate.”

Veronica wanted to frown but found herself nodding shyly instead. What was wrong with her tonight? She had to get going - she’d wasted enough time.

She cleared her throat, but didn’t move away from Sophie, since Sophie felt safe. “I’m okay,” she said.

But Sophie wasn’t going to let her off that easily. The woman had an uncanny way of almost seeming to read Veronica’s mind. She gave a charming smile to the waitress, and poked Veronica a little.

"A chocolate shake sounds really good to me. You'll join me in having one, won't you, darling?" Sophie asked Veronica, who kept her face down and away from the waitress. But the shake did sound good. Veronica found herself nodding. The waitress scribbled down the order and walked away.

"It sounds like you're an excellent sleuth. Your dad must be really glad to have you around," Sophie said, tipping Veronica’s face up so she could see her eyes. "Will he be waiting for you when you get home?"

Veronica didn’t look into Sophie’s dark eyes, because she was afraid if she did, she’d hold her arms out to Sophie and they could never come back from that. But oh, how she wanted Sophie to hold her. Sophie’s comforting warmth and sweet smell was almost intoxicating to tired little Veronica.

She bit her lip and focused her eyes on Sophie’s necklace instead. It was beautiful, sparkling diamonds, but understated enough that it wouldn’t catch attention in such a casual place. 

Veronica, without thinking, gently touched it with one finger, then pulled away, discomfited. What was wrong with her tonight? If she continued this way, she’d definitely be classified as a Little upon graduation and there went any hope of a job in any kind of law enforcement or espionage.

She raised her head at Sophie’s question, realizing she wasn’t doing very well with conversation tonight. “I’ve been working with him since I was about 15. He taught me everything I know.” Her eyes cast down a bit at the last sentence. “I don’t know if he’ll be home. He likes to stay with his girlfriend.” Veronica tried to smile. “It might just be me tonight. That’s okay.”

The waitress came back with the shakes and smiled at Veronica again. “There you are, ladies. I’ve got a wet cloth if you need it for her face afterwards!” She winked at Sophie. “We also have a small bathroom if she needs a change. I know very well how hard it can be to take Littles out!”

Veronica scowled, then. It wasn’t hard to take Littles out. She didn’t need anyone. Her shoulders slumped, and she took the milkshake, knowing the woman was just trying to be nice, but hating it all the same.

“I don’t need a change,” she said, her voice cold, even though she did need one - her diaper was heavy and wet. “We’re fine here.”

“Oh dear. Someone sounds tired. I’ll let you finish up and get her home.” The waitress walked away with another wink at Sophie and Veronica let out an exasperated sigh.

“She doesn’t even know if I am Little,” she muttered. “Why does everyone always think I am?”

As soon as she said it, Veronica knew that it was silly. Littles gave off a pheromone that was obvious to Doms and Caregivers. But even without that pheromone, it was obvious when someone was Little. They had padded bottoms, were usually acting quite a bit younger than the rest of the population, and gave off an air of innocence and trust. Veronica fought that constantly – but she knew tonight she wasn’t hiding it very well.

Sophie looked a little confused, and then amused. She took a small sip of her chocolate shake, and gave Veronica a small shrug, clearly carefully choosing her words. "I think it's obvious that you're tired, but after all, it is late. And that you've had a big day."

Sophie sipped again from her drink, pausing. "Your dad must be very proud of you. Not many teenagers are such a big help to their parents."

Veronica heard a slight doubtful note in Sophie’s voice, and knew that as she got older and grew out of the usual stages of childhood, it was becoming more and more obvious that she was Little and that others knew it, too. Sophie knew as well as Veronica did what her prospects would be. The comment about being a big help to her father was a token praise, she knew.

Veronica thought back to the last month of school. Her guidance counsellor had been hedgy about giving Veronica pamphlets for Stanford and had tried to nudge her more towards community colleges, which were set up for trades and Little education. Veronica knew what to expect - people set up in bathrooms to change diapers, napping rooms, extra breaks for Littles to play and socialize. Part of her did want that - that was the problem. And since she didn’t seem to be growing out of her bladder issues, and a lot of times didn’t even notice she’d wet her pants if she was really focused, she guessed it was obvious to others what her status was.

At that realization, Veronica felt her eyes fill with tears. She had tried so hard! Why did this have to be happening?

Sophie had touched her cheek and praised her for being such a big help to her father, but Veronica knew Keith would never allow her to help if he knew how Little she was. He was already wary about her safety and forbade her a lot of things that she did anyway, and he let her do because it helped him so much. She was a Neutral to him, just like he was, and that was that.

Now Sophie looked a little concerned. She touched Veronica’s cheek and smiled. “When we've finished up here, I'd like to drive you home. And if you're dad's not back, perhaps I can get you settled for the evening. I'd hate to think of you being wet and uncomfortable again."

Despite her tummy being nice and full, Veronica still felt tired and wet. She nodded.

“Okay. But I’ll have to pick up my car tomorrow. And it’s okay, you don’t have to stay. I don’t know if my dad will be home yet. I haven’t heard from him.” Though that was nothing new, Veronica felt her eyes prickle. She wished he’d somehow realize she was waiting for him and at least text. He was all she had.

She reached into her bag to pull out her wallet. “I can meet you outside. Where’s your car?”

Sophie just smiled, looking a bit tired. She squeezed Veronica’s hand soothingly, and Veronica, despite her misgivings about Sophie, felt somewhat safe.

Sophie gently let her go and pulled her wallet out of her own bag. "This is my treat," she said. "I wouldn't dream of letting you pay, so don't argue. And I'd like to get you ready for bed if your Dad isn't there when we get home. It's OK to need a little looking after from time to time."

Veronica felt a bit embarrassed. She certainly had not seen the night going this way at all. But she didn’t feel up to arguing with Sophie about paying for the meal or about taking her home.

So, she looked up at Sophie and said, “Thank you.” And then she blurted, “I wet my pants.”

She hadn’t meant to say it, but it just came out, right there. The Caregiver didn’t seem surprised, but Veronica felt a deep sense of shame. She’d given into all her Little urges tonight. She covered her face with her hands in embarrassment and hoped Sophie would just get her home and dry.

Sophie didn’t look surprised at Veronica’s admission. She simply stroked Veronica's back and said, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, sweet girl. We'll get you dry and clean in no time."

This time, Veronica didn't resist her urge to lean into Sophie. She found herself resting her head on Sophie's shoulder, and was instantly comforted by Sophie's scent and her warmth. She almost never told Keith when she was wet, though he almost always knew by the way she was standing and would brusquely tell her to go and change, always seeming a bit embarrassed to remind her. Sophie was just reassuring, as if it were normal for Littles to wet themselves and need changing. Which, realized Veronica, it was.

As Sophie gently guided her from the booth, Veronica caught the waitress from before smiling at them affectionately. She turned her face into Sophie’s shoulder shyly. She didn’t want anyone to look at her, and she didn’t feel up to being very big right now.

Sophie took her hand and led her out of the restaurant. "We'll be at my car before you know it. Do you live nearby, sweetheart?"

Veronica cleared her throat as they went back out into the cold air. “Across town. I can really go home by myself, you know. It’s okay. You did a lot for me tonight. I’m used to being alone.”

But even as she said it, Veronica didn’t want Sophie to go. She clung to Sophie’s hand. “But if you want to stay with me . . .” she trailed off, not knowing how to ask this lovely woman to take care of her, not knowing if it was even appropriate.

“I would be okay with that,” she finished awkwardly.

Sophie looked gratified – even happy. "I'm very happy to take care of you. I want to make sure you're settled for the evening and get some rest. You need it."

Clouds were scudding over the bright moon as they headed towards Sophie’s car, which was an elegant little Mercedes. Veronica felt safe as Sophie tucked her coat around her and helped her into the passenger seat.

"I'll get you home before you know it," she said, and Veronica smiled a little at Sophie’s words. If this is what having a Caregiver was like, well. She definitely liked it so far.

However, there was still a niggling part of her that wondered if this was wrong. There was another part of her that wondered what her father would think when she finally admitted she was Little. Because it was coming very clear to Veronica, who wriggled in pleasure as Sophie gave her a few affectionate smiles and winks, that Veronica was Little. Maybe even one of those Littles that were very small and couldn’t be out of diapers for a moment, she realized as she felt a trickle of warmth in her diaper again.

She wriggled a little bit, but the diaper just soaked it up, and she found she didn’t mind it being heavy and wet and squishy. When she thought Sophie wasn’t looking as that lady got in on the other side of the car, she even squeezed the bulging pad at her crotch. It was definitely squishy - and noticeable as her pants outlined it softly. Anyone with eyes could tell she was wet. Maybe even that waitress. Veronica flushed.

Sophie settled in on the other side of the car and started the Mercedes with a purr. The expensive car had heated seats, and Sophie pushed the button for Veronica’s seat for her. Almost immediately Veronica felt warmth unrelated to peeing and felt cozy and sleepy.

She gave Sophie directions. “It’s the Inn at Sunset Cliffs Apartments. About a half an hour from here.” She snuggled into Sophie’s coat and sighed contentedly. Sophie would get her home. She instinctively knew it.

Some time later, Veronica groggily woke up as someone touched her cheek and shoulder. For a moment, she didn’t know where she was and who she was with. It took her another moment to focus on Sophie’s kind face and soft voice. Then it all came flooding back. She must have fallen asleep on the way home.

She heard Sophie’s voice as if from a long way away. "Darling? We're here. Let's get you inside, hmm?"

Falling asleep was dangerous, and Veronica knew it. But Sophie had driven her exactly where Veronica had directed her. They were sitting in the parking lot outside of Veronica’s apartment complex. Veronica blinked the sleep out of her eyes and looked up at 110, her apartment. There was a small light burning by the door, but otherwise no sign of Keith being home.

She yawned and stretched, making a little squeak as she felt the knots in her back loosen. Then she smiled sleepily at Sophie.

“Thank you for driving me home,” she said. She rubbed her eyes. “I can take it from here if you’d like to get back to the hotel.”

Veronica opened the door of the car and stepped out into the cold night. She shivered suddenly and felt her bladder loosen - the cold always made her wet. The diaper had obligingly held up to her wetting, but it was already soaked, and Veronica felt it give a little. Wetness leaked between her legs and she felt a dampness on her thighs.

Well, she was already home. And these pants did need a wash anyway.

She noticed Sophie had gotten out of the car despite her words, and without thinking, Veronica walked over and immediately took Sophie’s warm hand, which closed over hers comfortingly.

“It’s this door,” Veronica murmured, unlocking her apartment and glad that her dog was with the dog sitter this week. He would otherwise bark and growl and she didn’t feel up to dealing with him.

Quietly, she led Sophie inside, and let out a long sigh as she finally stepped through her door and was home at last.

Sophie seemed to take in the small apartment, her dark eyes clocking every detail. Veronica wondered if she thought the place was nice, or if she thought it was a rat hole. But Sophie didn’t give anything away as she looked around. She just said, "You look dead on your feet, darling. Once you're nice and dry and warm, I think you should go straight to bed. Where do you keep your diapers?"

Veronica was secretly glad that the house was clean - she’d made a point of trying to keep it clean before Keith was due home. But she hadn’t expected to bring home anyone and she felt glad that there were no clothes or dirty dishes lying around.

She led Sophie towards her room at the back. Her father had let her have the bedroom with the ensuite bathroom for more privacy, a gift for which Veronica was eternally grateful. Her room was a bit messier than the outer living space, though Veronica liked to keep things tidy, just due to her not being home much over the past few days. She hoped Sophie wouldn’t mind.

Veronica let go of Sophie and pulled out her package of drug store diapers from under her bed. She yawned again, feeling like her head would split into two. She was so, so tired, and the thought of having to undress and change and wipe herself down was overwhelming. She put the diapers on the bed and then shyly lifted the hem of her green shirt, but dropped it when she realized that Sophie wasn’t going to leave.

Veronica suddenly didn’t know what to do, which was a first for her. Her lower lip stuck out and she started to cry, a tired cry that sounded pathetic even to her.

She turned back to Sophie and held out her arms to her for the first time - something she didn’t even do with Keith.

“Can you help me, please?” she whimpered. Then, “I’m sorry. I’m so tired.”

Sophie’s face creased in sympathy, and she reached out for Veronica, pulling her into her arms and rocking her securely. "Of course I'll help you, darling," she said, smoothing back Veronica’s hair. Veronica sighed and leaned into Sophie, grateful she was there.

Sophie looked at the diapers, and then reached out to feel one, as if testing its weight and absorbency. Veronica watched Sophie’s face change almost imperceptibly - only someone trained to see facial changes would be able to tell, but Veronica had been picking up on subtleties like this and noticed. Sophie didn’t think the diapers were enough - and to be honest, they weren’t. Veronica had a plastic sheet on the bed because she usually ended up leaking by the morning. They didn’t hold up well when she had a lot of liquid before bed, which she had tonight.

"Let's get you changed, hmm, I think you're rather wet, aren't you?” asked Sophie. She squeezed Veronica’s diaper to see how wet she was, which made Veronica flush in embarrassment. “You'll feel so much better once you're nice and dry, and then we'll have you in bed before you know it."

Sophie's voice and manner were very soothing as she began to help Veronica out of her clothes. Veronica felt momentarily embarrassed when she realized her shirt was wet, too - she must have leaked up the back again, even with the new diaper Sophie had given her - but Sophie didn’t react at all and Veronica felt a bit better.

Sophie seemed to know exactly what she was doing. She cleaned Veronica's face and neck with a damp washcloth, smoothing back her hair. But when Sophie washed her face, Veronica closed her eyes in ecstasy. It was so nice to have her slightly sticky, dirty face cleaned. Keith constantly commented on how dirty her face was and how she needed to wash it before going out and running around. But she always forgot, and this felt lovely. Sophie was so gentle and sweet.

Then Sophie focused on getting Veronica changed into a new diaper. Veronica knew she had several patches of bad diaper rash, and she moaned a little as Sophie cleaned her. It was embarrassing, and Veronica cursed herself. She knew better than to sit in wet pants all day.

Sophie pawed through the cupboards and found an old tub of rash cream Veronica had forgotten about. She hoped it wouldn’t make her rash worse. But Sophie was gentle and spread it carefully – and it did feel soothing on her sore bottom. Veronica definitely appreciated being put into a pillowy new diaper and clean, dry pants. Even though they likely wouldn’t stay dry long, thought Veronica darkly. She usually woke in the night to change.

Sophie took Veronica's hand to lead her back to bed. "I know you're just dying to fall back to sleep, aren't you sweetheart? I'm going to stay with you until you do." She kissed Veronica's forehead and helped her out of her dirty shirt and into a pajama top.

Veronica nodded. “Mm-hmm,” she said, slipping her thumb in her mouth. The fact that Sophie would stay just seemed so right. Veronica turned onto her side, toward Sophie, and watched as that lady tucked her in, the light illuminating her lovely features. She hoped Sophie would stroke her hair and rub her back. For now, she gave Sophie a smile around her thumb.

“Thank you for staying with me. You’re so nice to me when you don’t have any reason to be.”  
Sophie’s face creased in sympathy again, and she kissed Veronica’s forehead.

"You don't have any idea how precious you are, do you?" She smoothed Veronica’s hair gently. "You're perfect just the way you are. Thank you for trusting me. I know it wasn't easy."

Veronica smiled at Sophie. She had been perfect. It hadn't really been hard to trust her. Nowhere near as hard as it should have been.

Sophie began to hum, rubbing Veronica’s back soothingly. Veronica closed her eyes as Sophie stroked her hair and her cheek. It felt so nice to be cared for. Veronica had rarely felt so safe. She almost couldn’t remember the last time. She fell asleep and slept soundly, not even hearing when Sophie left.

//~//

At 3 AM, she heard her dad come in. He tried to be quiet at night, but he rarely was able to be quiet enough - Veronica’s hearing was very sharp and she woke up at the slightest sound. She sat up, feeling that she’d leaked through her diaper again, and padded out into the living room.

“Hi, Dad.”

Keith looked up, his rumpled suit and tired eyes apparent. But he smiled at her. “Hi, sweetheart. Sorry I woke you.”

“It’s okay.” She came over to him and he hugged her tightly, then wrinkled his nose.

“Yuck. Did you take a bath before bed?”

She shook her head and he looked a bit stern. “Veronica. You smell like urine, honey. You have to do a better job.” He looked down at her and saw her wet pants. “Go and change, and then back to bed. We can talk in the morning.”

Veronica blushed but did as he said. He looked disapproving and she felt awful. Why couldn’t she control herself better?

On her way back to the bedroom, she spotted a note in a lovely elegant script. It was from Sophie and explained that Veronica could reach her at any time. A number was scribbled in the postscript.

Veronica was surprised that Sophie had left her number. She wasn't sure the woman would be back, after she'd caused her so much trouble. Veronica looked at the phone number, wondering if she should try to contact her.

Still thinking about Sophie, Veronica changed her pants and diaper, a bit awkwardly, and climbed into bed.

The next morning, she bolted her food, despite Keith’s complaints, and raced to school. She’d had to spend extra time cleaning the plastic seat of her car today, and so she packed extra pull-ups and pants so that she didn’t have to worry about leaking as much.

At lunch, she determined that she would go and stake out Sophie again. She was sure she would see her at the hotel, since she knew her mark would be there again tonight.

Veronica’s heart beat quickly. She was ridiculously excited to see Sophie again.


	2. Chapter 2

Sophie closed the door of her hotel room behind her, letting out a long sigh.

Her hotel wasn’t up to the standard she preferred, but it would do. Sophie carefully removed her make-up and had a long shower. She felt a lingering anxiety about Veronica, and wished she could be there when the girl woke up. 

Before she had embraced being a Caregiver, her fears had centred around herself: mainly that she’d end up in prison and wouldn’t be able to escape. But now she worried about Parker, too. Did she really need another Little in her life?

She called Parker, smiling when her Little’s face appeared on the video screen. It was always relaxing to see her, and she began to feel better about Veronica, too. If she could handle Parker, she could handle anyone.

Parker was missing her. "Did you have a good day? Did you steal his soul? Are you coming home now?" she asked as soon as she saw her. "I cracked a safe today. It was weird without you."

After they’d chatted for a little while, Sophie brought up Veronica. Parker seemed insouciant, and then perplexed. "Don't be gone too long." She paused, and changed position in front of the phone camera. “Look, we got these new diapers. They’re cotton and bamboo and they’re reusable and good for my skin.”

“Cloth diapers? Was that Eliot’s idea?” Sophie sighed. They might be good for Parker, but Sophie was doubtful. “Who’s going to wash them for you?”

Parker shrugged. Sophie missed her fiercely, suddenly, down to worrying about her diaper rash. And she’d only been gone a couple of days, and she’d been worrying about someone _else’s_ diaper rash! What people said was true: letting a Little into your life really changed your perspective.

After they’d hung up, Sophie promising to call again soon, Sophie lay back on her bed, her mind churning. It took Parker a while to process things: maybe tomorrow she'd start to be upset about Sophie looking after another Little.

On the other hand, maybe she'd actually like Veronica. It would be good for Parker to have a friend who was Little too, but it was hard to get Parker to accept anyone. She was even more mistrustful of Littles than she was of other people. Sophie imagined Parker and Veronica committing a crime together, how cute they’d be, and realised that firstly she shouldn’t want sweet Veronica to start robbing banks, and secondly, that she was jumping too far ahead.

Maybe Veronica wouldn’t contact her again.

*

Indeed, the next morning there was no call from Veronica, just a couple of texts from her team. Nate checked in with her, and Hardison sent a picture of Parker grinning as she crossed a gap between buildings. It made Sophie's heart jump anxiously, which she knew wasn't the intended effect.

She concentrated on the job. She was good at slipping into another person’s skin, and she became Martha Jones, hungry for work. All she wanted was to make contacts and push the business she was desperate to get off the ground. Her mark thought he was going to trick _her_ out of money, and it was ridiculously easy to push his buttons. His greed and lust were awakened every time Martha leant towards him, every time she smiled.

Being with a Little was always a relief after an encounter like this. There were no games and traps with Veronica or Parker: they simply needed love.

As the evening drew in, Sophie went back to her hotel and changed into warmer clothes. She checked in with Parker, but the team were busy with their own part of the job and Parker just sent her a string of confusing emojis. Sophie kept checking her phone in case she’d missed a message from Veronica, which made her feel like a love-sick teenager, though really she was more of a mother hen. Was Veronica safe? Dry? Comfortable?

Sighing, Sophie set out for another long evening staking out the hotel across town. The job should be easy, as long as she didn’t alert her mark, but she thought this aspect of the plan was going to be a bust, and anyway, stake-outs weren’t really a grifter’s role. One of the other four usually took it on while she did something better with her time.

She hugged her coat around her shoulders, feeling a little sorry for herself. She paced for a while across the road from the hotel, taking out a map occasionally. She hadn’t been there very long, however, when a familiar car drew up. An immediate warmth spread through her: Veronica had returned.

She smiled, realising Veronica must be too shy to approach her directly. Parker could be shy too, in a way, uncertain of her own emotions and afraid of abandonment, but she was more blunt than Veronica. Sophie turned towards the car, wondering how subtle she should be.

The hotel loomed accusingly behind her. She’d already abandoned her duty the previous evening, but really, she didn’t think this stake-out was getting her anywhere. The job _was_ important; Nate thought it was the only important thing. Sophie had too, once. But she was different now. She had people she cared about.

Only a wisp of Veronica’s blonde hair was visible from the car window. Sophie gave the hotel one last glance, and made her way over to the car.

She knocked gently on the window. Veronica looked very small, curled up on the seat. She looked up as Sophie approached the car, and wound the window down. 

“I’m glad you’re here,” Sophie said, keeping her voice light. “I was worried about you.”

Veronica smiled back, but her cheeks were flushed, betraying nerves. “Hi.” Her voice squeaked a little as she spoke, but then she seemed to regain her confidence. “I wanted to thank you for everything last night. It was really kind of you to help me out. You didn’t have to.”

She looked better today than she had the previous evening: dry, clean, more relaxed. Sophie hoped they could talk more. She was curious about Veronica’s exact circumstances.

“I was glad to help,” Sophie said. “Are you sure you’re all right now?” Veronica looked peaky to her, and still very tired, despite her more polished appearance.

“I’m OK,” Veronica said. “Dad came home last night, and I went to school today. Everything’s normal.”

Something in her tone suggested to Sophie that ‘normal’ wasn’t necessarily ‘good’. “Have you eaten?” she asked. “Perhaps we could have dinner together.”

Veronica shook her head. “I’m not hungry, but I can recommend a place.” She paused, and her bright tone became nervous as she said, “I can come with you, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Sophie said. She looked back at the hotel. She hated to do anything less than professional, but she really thought Veronica was more important right now. And the Little was looking nervous again.

“Are you sure? I pretty much ruined your night last night. And Dad always says I should be more careful and discreet and take care of myself. And I usually take care of myself just fine!” Veronica looked like she didn’t believe a word of what she was saying.

“I took a cab over here,” Sophie said. “So unless we can walk to the restaurant, I’ll need a ride. Would you be able to drive me?”

After a moment, Veronica unlocked the car door. “There’s a cafe across town that had really nice coffee and treats.”

Sophie sat beside her. Veronica looked so small sitting at the wheel that Sophie had to fight an urge to give her a hug. Instead, she said, “That sounds perfect.”

As they drove, she was struck again by Veronica’s youth. She often thought of Parker as young, and Parker was almost fifteen years younger than Sophie. But Veronica was still in school, just eighteen, and so Little too. She clearly had a lot of trouble with staying dry, and she had been so tactile last night, desperate for physical comfort. Her vulnerability was almost scary: Sophie was afraid she might betray Veronica’s trust or hurt her in some way.

She wanted to draw Veronica out: she hadn’t had the chance to learn enough about her yet. “Do you like school?” Sophie asked. “Any big plans for the future?”

Veronica’s lip twitched and she glanced sidelong at Sophie. “I’m just waiting to be finished. I do well in school, but I don’t play nice with the other kids, and I hate the whole structure of the place. I’m too independent.”

That reminded her of Parker. Even if Parker’s life circumstances hadn’t been so fraught with difficulty, Sophie couldn’t imagine her fitting in at school. Schools were often stacked against Littles. They didn't stop the inevitable bullying, they didn't meet Little's different needs, and many Littles left without qualifications, leading to poverty and sometimes homelessness. Sophie didn’t want Veronica to end up like that.

“And you work for your Dad too?”

“My dad needs an assistant, someone he can rely on.” Veronica didn’t say anything else: apparently that subject was closed. “Do you travel away from your Little a lot?”

"I don't like leaving Parker," Sophie said, honestly. "We travel a lot for our work, but we usually travel together. I haven’t been away from her for so long in a long time.” Sophie wanted to say that she missed Parker, but she didn’t want Veronica to think she was just spending time with her because she was lonely for something else.

They pulled into a parking space near a brightly-lit cafe. Sophie got out of the car first, opening the cafe door for Veronica.

"What about you?” Sophie asked. “Does your dad travel a lot?"

Veronica shrugged. “He’s not around all that much. He’s got a lot of work.” She gestured to a table, and Sophie followed her.

A waitress came over, smiling at Sophie. “What can I get you? We have free refills on Americanos.” She looked down at Veronica. “We’ve got chocolate milk too. You don’t seem big enough for coffee.”

Veronica glared in response. Sophie wondered what had tipped the waitress off: there were a few signs that Veronica was Little, including a padded behind and the way Veronica automatically ducked close to Sophie, but her status wasn’t _that_ obvious, and Sophie didn’t think it was polite to bring it up.

“I’ll have an Americano,” Veronica said firmly.

Parker hated coffee, but she probably would have said the same thing. She couldn’t stand being patronised. Sophie didn’t like the waitress’s tone either. She gave her order curtly.

There were clearly some landmines when talking to Veronica. She was prickly around certain topics, and very good at turning the conversation so it wasn’t about her. She’d be a good con artist, Sophie thought.

“It must be hard to be on your own so much,” Sophie said, keeping her tone light. “My Little, Parker, is very independent, but she usually needs a cuddle every morning. And it would help you if someone was there to make sure you stayed nice and dry, wouldn’t it, darling?”

She paused, hoping the ‘darling’ wasn’t too much. It was so easy to slip into using pet names with Veronica! “You’re very impressive, though: you were on to me so fast. Your dad must be very proud of you.”

Veronica looked away, and then back up at Sophie with a steady, disarming gaze. “I’m fine. It’s not usually like last night. I’m dry right now, anyway.”

Her pride in being dry betrayed how rare that must be for her. But Sophie nodded encouragingly.

After a pause, Veronica asked, “Is Parker... in the same business as you? What’s she like?”

"Parker and I met because we were working together. She was a criminal – it happens to a lot of Littles. But she's gone straight now, like me." Sophie wasn't sure how many details she should give Veronica about their lives, or if Veronica really wanted to hear about Parker. She already had the impression that Veronica was a little bit jealous of Parker. “She's smart, like you, and she always wants to get her own way. She's been through a lot... "

Sophie paused. "Do you know other Littles? Do you have friends who look out for you?"

Veronica shook her head. “I used to... I used to have a best friend. But she... She was murdered. She used to look out for me, but since then...” Veronica paused. “I don’t have many friends. And no one knows I’m Little. Or that I might be Little...” She blinked quickly, her voice dropping. “I guess I’m Little.”

The waitress chose that moment to deposit their order on the table, including a glass of chocolate milk. “A little extra for you, sweetie. It’s on the house.”

“God,” Veronica gulped as the waitress walked away. “I must be Little. How does she know?”

Sophie didn’t fight her instinct, and reached over to take Veronica’s hand. “Some of us are good at it, sweetheart.” She paused, glad Veronica didn’t pull away. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, that you lost your friend in such a traumatic way. It... It can make it hard to open up to anyone ever again.”

Veronica nodded. “A lot of bad stuff happened that year.”

“And your father doesn’t know you’re Little, either?”

Veronica stared down at her chocolate milk. “My father thinks Littles are criminals. Or that they’re stupid and people take advantage of them. He’d hate me to be Little.”

Sophie took a breath. She picked up her latté with her free hand, and sipped it. Veronica was dealing with so much. If she was a client, Sophie would want to fix her problems immediately, or at least give her a healthy dose of cash. The previous night made sense to her now, too: of course Veronica was struggling to take care of herself. It wasn't just that she didn't have a Caregiver – not being able to admit her Little side to herself meant she would be constantly fighting it, rather than figuring out how to take care of herself.

“Oh, darling. You must feel very alone.” Sophie traced little circles on the back of Veronica’s hand.

Veronica’s blue eyes filled with tears. “It’s hard,” she said in a small voice. “It’s not safe here. I have to look out for myself. I can’t let anyone see me as weak.”

Sophie waited, knowing silence often led people to speak more than direct questions. Veronica gulped again, seeming to pull herself together, blinking hard. “Anyway, my father doesn’t need to know. I’ll be going to college soon and out of the house. He won’t find out. I’ve hidden it from him for this long.”

Sophie wondered how Veronica’s father could fail to notice Veronica was Little. Perhaps not everyone would know, but she wasn’t as good at hiding it as she thought. She was _very_ Little too, not the kind of Little who might switch between being a Little and being a sub or even being Neutral. Like Parker, she struggled to know if she was wet or dry, or fully respond to her body’s signals, and she clearly needed physical comfort to feel secure. 

Sophie saw Veronica freeze, staring down at the table, her lips parting slightly in what Sophie instantly recognised as the face of someone peeing. _Oh poor baby_ , Sophie thought. _She needs someone so much. She needs me._

"I think it's hard to hide your Little side all the time, darling,” Sophie said, her voice even and gentle. “There are things you need, like affection and care. You can push and push yourself, but it's going to be very hard and you're not going to feel very good. You need someone in your life to give you space to be Little, without responsibilities. It doesn't mean you can't do other things too, and be your brilliant, clever self."

Veronica turned her face away, sipping at the Americano. She grimaced slightly at the bitter coffee. Her voice was confident as she said, “It’s survival, really. Adult Littles end up waitressing or secretaries or working down at the McDonalds. They don’t have their own homes or if they do, they have someone helping them with finances. I’m smarter than that, Sophie.”

Sophie could hear the pride in Veronica’s voice as she spoke, and she was glad the Little had so much self-confidence. Veronica went on, “My father raised me to be smarter than that. He makes fun of the time he was a cop and had to help Littles with their diapers in lock-up.”

“I don’t want to be like this.” Veronica wiped her eyes again, her voice unsteady. “I want to graduate, be out of diapers, go to school and become just like my dad. I want him to be proud, and he won’t be. He’ll be ashamed.”

Veronica hands were balled into fists now. She was clearly struggling to stay calm.“I might be Little, but I’m going to put up a damn good fight. I don’t have anyone here who will put up with me, anyway. I want to go home to my dad and know he still wants me around. I can do something important, I know I can.”

Sophie tried not to betray the sadness she was feeling to the girl. She hadn’t wanted to be a Caregiver, any more than Veronica wanted to be a Little. Having a Little in her life hadn’t been safe or practical, and she’d hated the urges she’d felt to care for them. Sophie wanted to be free from responsibility and care. She didn’t want to waste her time on a needy adult.

Like Veronica, Parker hadn’t wanted to be Little either. She often put herself down, and other Littles too. She just wanted to be independent – but over time she’d started to find good things about being Little, just as Sophie had come to realise loving and caring for Parker enriched her life rather than curtailed it.

She wanted to tell Veronica that having a Little side was nothing to be ashamed of. Being Little was just part of who someone was: it might inform how they related to other people, but it didn’t mean they weren’t competent or valuable or interesting as a person, too. Besides, no one could deny their Little side indefinitely. Even if they could keep on top of their physical needs, their emotional needs would eventually become unbearable.

Sophie felt angry with herself that for so long she, too, had seen Littles as a burden, and hadn't been conscious of the prejudice they faced. Knowing Parker had changed her for the better.

She wanted to say all this to Veronica, but for once she wasn't sure how to put it into words. She was good at using her words to manipulate or trick, but honesty didn't always come to her so easily.

Veronica looked defeated, despite her passionate words. Sophie scooted closer to her, putting her hand on Veronica's shoulder.

"It's true that Littles can have a hard time being respected by society. Your rights have improved a bit over the years, but not enough." Sophie sighed. "I know that, and it makes me angry. But you're perfect just the way you are, Veronica. You need people in your life who accept you for you."

Veronica’s breath shuddered, and she kept her eyes down. But Sophie went on, “I think your Dad must know, on some level at least. If he's as smart as you say, he can't have missed it, sweetheart."

Sophie was pleased to feel Veronica press into her side. She resisted the urge to put her arm around Veronica, wanting the girl to take the lead.

Veronica’s voice was small when she said, “I don’t think he’s missed it. He makes comments about diapers a lot. I can’t seem to .... I don’t even know sometimes that I have to go before I’m wet. And he knows. He scolds me for it. But he doesn’t say anything else...”

Sophie could feel Veronica trembling slightly. The girl picked up her chocolate milk and slurped it, getting some on her lip. Her face was pale, and she groaned slightly, appearing to come to a realization. “He knows. Ugh. He does know. He’s avoiding too. I think he hopes I could still become a Neutral. It’ll kill him if I don’t. He doesn’t like Littles.”

Sophie felt Veronica pressing closer to her side. The girl was so small and Sophie so badly wanted to gather her into her arms. She looked so vulnerable as she spoke about her father, and Sophie was afraid for her. A Little's position was so precarious, especially if they didn't have the support they needed from their family, and it sounded like Veronica couldn't count on her dad.

"He won't hate you, darling. And if he's half the man you think he is, he'll realise he's been wrong about Littles, too." Sophie rubbed Veronica's shoulder. "I'm afraid none of this is going to go away. But..."

Sophie nibbled her lip, uncertain if she should voice this. Could she really promise Veronica anything? Was it kind to do so? She found herself saying it anyway. "You're not alone now. I want to help."

Veronica stiffened, but didn’t pull away from Sophie. Her voice was uncertain and mistrustful.“If you wanted to check in every once in awhile, that would help, maybe? But you don’t need another needy Little!”

_Putting herself down again,_ Sophie thought. _What a shame._

"I can help you in lots of ways. I can help you talk to your dad. I can help you navigate university, if that's what you want. And I can help you by giving you a place to stay if you ever need it. I can promise you that stuff right now."

Sophie sipped her latté, choosing her words carefully. "We don't know each other well enough yet for me to know if you could be my Little, and of course you'd have to get to know Parker." Sophie paused, thinking about this. She couldn’t believe she felt so strongly towards Veronica already, wanted so badly to take care of her. It hadn’t been like that with Parker. But Parker had shown her that she could open her affections to a Little."But it's a possibility. And I do want to take care of you like I did last night, if that's what you want. On your terms."

Veronica squirmed beside her, pulling away slightly. Her arms folded over her chest, but she was clearly trying hard to keep her voice bright as she said, “You’re so kind to even offer to help with my dad. That’s so nice.” Veronica laughed slightly. “I don’t usually trust people who are so kind, but if you’re trying to take advantage of me, you’re going about it in a weird way.”

Sophie smiled. “Sometimes Littles and Caregivers can’t help forming a bond. Sometimes we see something in each other and we know... Honestly, it’s never happened to me before, not like this. I want to be very careful with you, Veronica. You’re so young.”

Veronica nibbled her lip, looking away. “It’s nice. It’s nice that you want to look after me.”

Sophie touched Veronica’s cheek gently, looking into Veronica’s eyes. “Of course I do.”

Then she saw Veronica squirm again, and it reminded Sophie that the little one was wet. It made Sophie's Caregiver instincts jump into overdrive. Littles responded to Caregivers, but Caregivers responded right back. Littles made them feel calm and competent and gave them an intense need to care. Lots of personality types responded positively to Littles, if they allowed themselves. Littles made them feel calm.

If Veronica was Parker, she’d just take her hand and tell her it was time for a change. But she couldn’t do that with Veronica, not yet. Sophie imagined having two Littles in her life. In abstract, the thought of two people needing her love and care was overwhelming, but when she thought about Veronica and Parker, it was different. She cared about Veronica so much already and that didn't feel overwhelming.

Sophie swallowed. Better not to get too far ahead. She took a piece of her pie on the end of her fork and offered it to Veronica. "Maybe we should talk to your dad soon, hm?"

Veronica surprised her by accepting the pie. She was quiet, and Sophie knew the wheels were turning in her mind. It was good that she was cautious. She was right not to trust easily: in fact, Sophie was surprised by how much she was opening up.

“I’m scared to talk to him,” Veronica said, voice catching again. “I’m scared of what he’ll say.” Then she ducked her head and squirmed again, grabbing at the front of her diaper through her trousers. “I’m wet.”

_I can see that a mile away,_ Sophie thought. Veronica looked so young and so afraid.

"Oh, darling," Sophie said gently. She cursed herself for not bringing any diapers with her. She'd been lucky last night, happening to have one in the bottom of her bag, but since Parker wasn’t with her on this trip, she hadn’t packed a diaper bag. “Do you have a change with you? I can help you get comfortable again.”

She didn’t want to drop the subject of Veronica’s father, either. She smoothed the Little’s hair. “We could talk to your Dad together. I think it might help him to admit it too. Hiding something from yourself is hard."

“He might listen to you,” Veronica said softly. “But I don’t know. He won’t be mean or cruel, but he’ll be sad. I’ll be breaking his heart.”

“I can stay with you all the time, if that’s what you want,” Sophie said. She’d be glad to do it. This was, at least, an area where she could really help. Sophie was good with men.

Veronica sighed. “He’s going to lose his respect for me. I know he is. He expects me to be able to care for myself. We work so well together. I don’t want it to change.”

Sophie sighed. She could hear the affection in Veronica's voice when she spoke about him, but also the anxiety. Her father was someone Veronica clearly adored, but he was letting her down, and that made Sophie angry. Veronica didn't deserve to be let down.

“The way you are is just right, darling. Your father should see that – I hope we can make him see that. You two can be just as close as you are now – closer, maybe. You don’t have to change who you are for him, or anyone.”

Veronica looked away. She squirmed again. “Do you have a change with you?” Sophie asked. 

“I have a clean pull-up,” she said. She bit her lip. “But I know it’s not enough now. Is it ever going to be enough? I feel like I need to keep wearing full diapers because I leak so much.” Her voice was low and embarrassed.

“I'm glad you have something to change into." Sophie felt Veronica lean into her. She could smell the faint, warm scent of a Little rising from Veronica's skin. "You're probably right, though. Pull-ups just aren't enough for all Littles, and it's not comfortable to wear something that doesn't keep you properly dry. We can pick up some proper diapers for you later. How does that sound?"

While it was a very personal matter to discuss,, Sophie decided she wasn't overstepping here. Veronica had admitted they had a connection, and she needed help. Clean diapers were one of her most basic needs, and Sophie wanted to make sure she had them. She felt Veronica nod in response. 

“I’ll help you get changed,” Sophie said. It was easy to take over: Sophie had always found that Littles preferred to be changed gently, but in a no-nonsense way, not making a big deal out of the situation. Sophie had found that it came naturally to her; she’d only needed a little practice.

Veronica delighted her by taking her hand as they got up from the booth. Sophie led her quickly into the bathroom. 

“I'm pretty much an expert on changes in small spaces now,” Sophie said, keeping her voice bright and even. “Since Parker and I have to make do with what we can find. I'll get you dry in no time, darling."

She felt Veronica nod in response. The change was handled quickly, despite the awkwardness of the bathroom. Veronica was compliant, though Sophie was a little surprised by how wet her diaper was. No wonder the poor kid had a rash.

After making sure the pull-up was properly in place, and Veronica was clean and dry – though perhaps not for long, Sophie thought wryly – Sophie washed her hands, and helped Veronica clean hers, too. 

Veronica had been quiet through the change, blushing occasionally as Sophie got her clean and dry. Then, to Sophie’s surprise, she hugged her, saying, “Thank you for helping me. It’s more than I’ve had, basically ever.”

The hug was over too quickly. Sophie suddenly longed to hold Veronica in her arms for longer, to rock her and keep her safe. “Any time, sweetheart,” Sophie said gently.

She took her hand, leading her out of the bathroom. Veronica seemed shy, head ducked down as she blushed and fiddled with her sleeves. Sophie felt very close to her, a bond deepening between them now that she'd helped to change Veronica once again. She imagined giving Veronica a bottle, and falling asleep with her in her arms.

"Shall we get out of here?" Sophie asked. "We could pick up some proper diapers before we talk to your father."

Sophie paid at once, not giving Veronica a chance to demur. The younger woman looked sleepy, and as they approached the car, Sophie wondered if she would be safe to drive. She knew her instincts were pushing her to take over, and she hoped she wasn’t underestimating Veronica. Parker sometimes demanded to drive, which was hair-raising for everyone.

“I can drive us to a larger store and pick up some of the better diapers for you,” Sophie suggested. “Don’t worry, it’ll be my treat.”

Veronica got into the passenger side of the car without any fuss, suggesting she was as tired as Sophie had thought, but she said, “Oh, I couldn’t let you. I have money left over from a client.”

Sophie decided not to press that one until they were in the store. “I’ve been thinking about what to say to your dad. Are you applying to colleges at the moment?”

“I applied for a few, yes.” Veronica’s voice began to wobble again. “My grades were good, and I’d like to travel to Stanford or even out of state. But now I don’t know if I could handle it.”

"Perhaps we can tell your dad that I've been helping you with that process. I can say that I've noticed you having some problems, and that I want to make sure you're getting all the support you need at home." 

Sophie paused, taking one hand off the wheel in order to give Veronica’s arm a quick squeeze. "Parents often like it if your frame problems around helping their child succeed. He'll be more comfortable if we talk about you getting the help you need to do well in university. And hopefully once he gets used to the idea, he'll remember that he loves you just the way you are."

Veronica stared unseeingly out the window. “It’s a good thing I never showed him my pictures of you. He’d definitely never trust you if he thought you were mixed up in a case.” She snorted.

“I don’t have to talk to him, darling, if it would make you uncomfortable,” Sophie said. “I can just help you prepare what to say.”

Veronica shook her head vehemently. “I think it would help if you explained about the... the Little stuff to him. He thinks I can handle anything. I don’t want to disappoint him.”

“And you’re handling things beautifully,” Sophie said. “We’ll just explain to him that you might need a lot more support. I’m sure a lot of colleges would take you. I’ve heard that some places offer access programmes for Littles, to give a bit more support. I could certainly mention that.”

Truth be told, Sophie felt trepidation at the idea of meeting Veronica's dad. He wasn't a man she wanted to manipulate but one she wanted to convince to be kind and sensible, which would be much harder. She could gauge him better when they met.

If it didn’t go well, she was determined to pick up the pieces. She owed that to Veronica.

*

Veronica was wet again by the time they got to the store. Sophie could see her squirming, and she heard her small whimper. The poor little one got so upset any time she was wet. She definitely needed thicker diapers, and hopefully then she’d get less anxious when she was wet. She needed to learn that being wet wasn’t scary, or a big deal. It was a problem easily solved.

“We can change you again, sweetheart, don’t worry,” Sophie said, taking Veronica’s hand. 

“I don’t want to leak,” Veronica agreed, staring anxiously at the ground. “Do you know where the diapers are in the store?”

Sophie wasn’t very familiar with the layout of this store, but she was able to locate the diapers rapidly, and led Veronica to the bathroom again. This bathroom had a stall for Littles with a changing table, and Sophie found that she and Veronica had already fallen into a comfortable rhythm, Veronica being pliant and helpful.

Veronica looked very sweet in the thicker diaper, her legs slightly spread as she wriggled her toes. She seemed like she was teetering on the edge of being too Little to take care of herself, and Sophie just wanted to make everything easier for her.

“Do you have a pacifier, sweetheart?” Sophie asked. “It’s all right if you want one, you know. You’re feeling very small, aren’t you?”

Veronica looked thoughtful. “I’d like to try one. I don’t have really anything like that. Just an old blanket from before my mom left.”

Sophie impulsively kissed her cheek, and smoothed back her hair, watching Veronica smile back. She should have a variety of comfort items, Sophie thought. Parker had come into her life denying her Little side as much as possible, but she'd still had her special toys, and she'd never been far from a pacifier. These days Sophie never left the house without a paci, in case Parker would want it.

She helped Veronica back into her trousers. "When I'm buying these diapers, I think I should pick up a few other things for you. Some pacifiers, and maybe a bottle, what do you think?"

She helped Veronica down from the changing table and went to wash their hands. Veronica leant into her side, letting Sophie take over. She was a little shy, turning her face away from Sophie.

“If it’s not too much. I might be too old for them now, Dad took them away years ago.”

"Lots of Littles need comfort items,” Sophie said firmly. “Sometimes even people who aren't Little have comfort items or pacifiers. We all have ways that we need comfort. I'd like to buy you some pacifiers of your very own. And it sounds like you'd like to try a bottle too wouldn't you, darling?"

Veronica didn’t respond at once. Instead she pressed into Sophie’s side, looking for comfort. Sophie was glad to give it to her: she pulled Veronica into her arms. Veronica was so small that her head fit under Sophie's chin, and she leant into Sophie, curling into her arms. Sophie kissed the top of her head, rubbing little circles into her back. "You're such a sweet, good girl. I'm so glad we met.”

Sophie pulled away a little, but didn’t let go of Veronica. Before they were out of the seclusion of the stall, she said, "I have a big decision for you to make, too. Instead of talking to your Dad tonight, I could take you home and put you to bed, and we could make an arrangement to meet him tomorrow." She touched Veronica's cheek. "You just seem very sleepy, darling."

Veronica nodded, looking unsure. “He might be home,” she said. “But he’d at least meet you. And yeah, I think I’m too tired to talk to him today.” She yawned, as though confirming it. “And I would like you to put me to bed. I’m sleepy.”

Sophie pressed another kiss to the top of Veronica's head." Come on, sweetheart," she said." Let's pick up some things for you, and then I'll get you home to bed."

The Little followed her quietly as she led her back to the main store. The section of Little products wasn't as good as at the store she frequented in Portland, but there were still some options. She watched as Veronica's eyes lingered over the pacifiers, and she picked up the frog one that Veronica touched.

"And a bottle, too," Sophie decided. Parker didn't use a bottle, but from the way Veronica had reacted when Sophie had mentioned them, she was sure Veronica was interested. She selected one that seemed like it would be the right size.

She held Veronica's hand as they went to pay and Veronica showed no sign of drawing away. She leant into Sophie, warm and trusting.

They passed another Caregiver and Little pair as they walked to the check-out. These were two men, and the Little had clearly had enough for the night. He was pouting and whining a little, while his Caregiver attempted to placate him by rubbing his back and promising that they would be home soon. 

Veronica stiffened when she saw them, and then held onto Sophie’s hand more tightly, raising her chin, as though showing off how good and quiet she was being. It made Sophie smile. Veronica seemed so determined to prove she was well-behaved – although Sophie wanted to tell her she didn’t have to be. She was just as worthy of love if she was being bratty or cheeky.

“Sophie, I’m sleepy,” Veronica said, her voice slipping into a slight whine. “Let’s get home fast, okay?”

Sophie kissed Veronica's forehead. "I'll get you home before you know it," she said. She handed Veronica the package of pacifiers – it contained the frog one and one with a fish – as she knew she'd been eyeing them. "Why don't you try one of these?"

They made their way to the car, Sophie opening the door for Veronica, and making sure she was buckled in. When Sophie went around to the driver’s seat, she noticed the girl holding the pacifier to her mouth, as though it might fall out, and giving small, questioning sucks. Sophie leaned over to stroke her hair back from her face, and touched her cheek. "Are you cosy, sweetheart?"

Just then, Sophie's phone rang. It was her private number, the one only her team had. She picked it up at once, and saw Parker was video calling her.

Sophie bit her lip. "I have to take this," she said to Veronica. "It's Parker. I won't be long."

She smiled at Parker's familiar face. "Hello, baby girl. You look tired."

"M not tired," Parker responded, which was her default reaction. "We got the files. I had to pretend to be a student." She played with her hair and yawned. "I was French too, but that was just for fun. I stole some extra blueprints."

"Sounds like a busy day," Sophie said mildly. "Does Nate know you took blueprints, too?"

Parker squirmed, then shrugged. "Blueprints aren't like diamonds."

"I'm here with Veronica, the Little I was telling you about."

"Oh." Parker nibbled her thumb, and then dug around in her pocket until she found her binky. "Did you steal her yet? I want you to come home."

Sophie heard the vulnerability in Parker's voice. "Of course I didn't steal her. But I'm going to be helping her. I'll be home as soon as I can, baby. I miss you a lot."

Parker sucked her pacifier, looking at Sophie thoughtfully. Sophie wished she was there to brush Parker's long bangs out of her face. "Call me when it's bedtime, and I'll sing you a lullaby," Sophie said. "But I've got to get Veronica home now."

Parker nodded. "Bunny misses you," she said, disconnecting the call.

Sophie took a deep breath. She felt a barrage of emotions – anxiety for both the Littles, and unsteadiness of her own. Was it fair to try to look after both of them? What had she let herself in for?

Then she looked at Veronica, who'd taken her pacifier out and was staring blankly ahead of her. Sophie leant over and touched her cheek. "Sorry about that. I know you're tired. We'll be home before you know it, and I'll make you a nice bottle."

But Veronica’s face was crumpling. “You don’t have to stay. You should go home to Parker. Parker misses you. And you probably miss her.” Her voice caught on a sob. “I shouldn’t be taking up all your time. You don’t really even know me and you don’t owe me anything.” Now her chin was quivering, and hot tears started to run down her face.

Sophie could see how overwrought the girl was. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She was glad she hadn’t started driving yet, and she undid Veronica’s seatbelt so she could more easily pull Veronica in for a hug. Her own stomach was churning – was trying to look after Veronica while she had another Little unfair to everyone?

Veronica’s breath was ragged, and her sobs didn’t abate. Sophie decided, based on Veronica’s emotions, that there wasn’t any point trying to reason with her right now. The best thing to do was to hold her.   
She guided Veronica onto her lap. Unlike Parker, Veronica fit easily on her lap and she felt so right there in Sophie's arms. Sophie felt the girl's shuddering sobs against her chest and rubbed her back, pressing kisses to her hair.

"Oh, little one, you're having so many big feelings. I'm sorry this is so hard, darling, I know it's really confusing."

She took a deep breath. She was afraid she was doing the wrong thing, that she was encouraging Veronica to look for something from her that she wouldn't be able to give her. But she cared about Veronica and she didn't want to let her down.

She rocked the girl, listening to her shuddering sobs change to rough breaths. Veronica fisted her hand in Sophie’s shirt, her small face pressed into Sophie’s chest.

"I do miss Parker. And she misses me. And you are very, very kind for worrying about her." Sophie said, choosing her words carefully. "But I want to help you, too. And Parker has someone to put her to bed tonight, and you don't. So I'd like to get you calm and tucked in, and we can talk about all these feelings tomorrow." Sophie stroked Veronica's cheek. "I don't know everything. I can't fix everything. But I believe we can work this out, the three of us."

Veronica sniffled and looked up at Sophie. “I’ve been OK on my own for so long. Maybe I don’t need anyone.”

"You are such a sweet, gentle girl,” Sophie said, gently wiping Veronica’s face with a tissue. "All Littles need someone, darling, you as well. Parker was on her own for a long time, and now she has me and the rest of the team, and that just makes me realise how lonely you must be. I want you to be happy and safe."

Veronica nodded slowly. She placed her hand on Sophie’s chest, right on her heart. Sophie placed her hand over Veronica’s, anchoring her there. She rocked the girl gently, smelling her hair and feeling her warmth. She did miss Parker, and she would be going back to Portland in the next few days, and she was worried about it. But right now, she concentrated on soothing Veronica.

"Let's get you home, precious girl. You're worn out. Things will look brighter in the morning."

Veronica nodded, and reluctantly detached herself from Sophie. “I’m sorry for all that,” she said.

“It’s understandable,” Sophie said. “You’ve had a lot to process since I got here.”

“I do really like having you here,” Veronica said. “Despite all the crying.” She managed a small smile.

“I like you too,” Sophie said. “Even the crying. I like that you feel safe enough to have feelings.” She started the car. Veronica took her free hand, and with the other, put her pacifier back in her mouth and sucked. Her eyes were drifting shut.

*

Sophie could hear Veronica's small snuffles through her nose, still a little clogged from her crying bout. Her hand was warm in Sophie's, and Sophie felt very calm as she listened to Veronica's breaths and drove. That was one of the things that kept drawing her back to Littles – they could drive her to distraction with worry, but there would also be moments like this, of complete calm.

Sophie felt like it was all too soon when she pulled in to Veronica's apartment complex. She had a wild desire to keep driving until she got up Portland, to steal Veronica as Parker had suggested.

The lights were on in Veronica's apartment this time. Veronica stirred as Sophie turned off the engine. Sophie felt a rush of nerves, coupled with fatigue of her own. She was so good at dealing with people, but she was afraid she'd play this wrong and lose Veronica's trust.

She didn't want to betray her feelings to Veronica. She squeezed her hand. "Shall we go in?"

Veronica seemed dazed with tiredness. The crying bout seemed to push her further into exhaustion. She stumbled on the way to the apartment, and was clearly reluctant to let go of Sophie’s hand.

The apartment was cosier than it had been the previous night. Veronica’s dad was on the couch, watching a baseball game, a bag of chips on the table in front of him. Veronica stood at Sophie’s side, though Mr. Mars looked up, clearly pleased to see Veronica. Sophie extended her hand to Mr. Mars.

"Sophie Devereaux," Sophie said. After a moment, Mr. Mars reached up and shook her hand. "How nice to meet you, Mars, Veronica has told me so much about you. You’re a real inspiration to this very talented young woman."

Mr. Mars looked engaged with what she was saying, but suspicious too. She could tell already that he would not be someone who was easy to trick or misdirect. He seemed to size her up, then spoke.

“Nice to meet you too, Ms Devereaux. Keith Mars,” he introduced himself. “How do you know my daughter?”

Veronica rubbed her eyes and took a step further into the room. Her voice was a little rusty as she said, “Sorry I’m later than I said. Sophie and I met to talk about college. She’s an advisor – she came to school a few weeks ago.”

“I’m afraid it’s a bit late for Veronica to have visitors,” Mr Mars said after a moment, looking back at Sophie, his face betraying nothing. “I’m glad she’s been starting to look at her options for college. She’s doing so well in school.”

Sophie liked the way he smiled proudly at Veronica. The girl was shifting uncomfortably. Sophie wondered if she could be wet again. How on Earth had Veronica gone so long without proper diapers? She had so little control.

“I just wanted to show Sophie my latest project to see if it qualified for any extra credit at Stanford,” Veronica said quickly. “It’s for the paper.” The she yawned hugely, rubbing her eyes.

Mr Mars didn’t miss it. “Maybe Sophie could come back another night, honey. You look about beat,” he said.

Veronica didn’t reply. She didn’t seem to want Sophie to leave just yet. She looked at Sophie and tried to smile before turning back to her dad.

“You're right," Sophie said, maintaining eye contact with Keith. “This isn't a good time for Veronica to show me her projects – she's exhausted. But she got a little upset earlier when we were discussing her options for the future, and I promised her I'd help her get settled in for the night." 

Keith continued to listen politely, and Sophie smiled. "Just woman to woman. I'll show her the best way to moisturise and soothe her skin, and she'll be asleep before she knows it."

Usually any use of the phrase “woman to woman” had men in Sophie’s life squirming. She hoped it would work on Mr Mars too. But instead, he looked curious. 

“Veronica, do you really need... tips... on that? Ms. Devereaux, with all due respect, Veronica does have school in the morning.” He came over to stand beside Veronica and rubbed her back a little.

Veronica frowned. “It’ll just take a second, Dad.” She walked away from him and went to the fridge. She got out the milk, pouring herself a glass and putting it into the microwave to heat up. She stood a bit gingerly, clearly very wet.

Keith still looked puzzled. “I hadn’t realized that Veronica was meeting with a counsellor for college,” he said to Sophie. He was looking at Veronica’s stance, Sophie noticed, and she realised he’d also noticed that Veronica was wet.

“Sweetie, why don’t you freshen up before you have anything else to drink?” he said. He was clearly trying to be discreet, but his words were pointed.

Veronica took a deep breath, and Sophie noticed how shaky it was. She didn’t want Veronica to be by herself, but Keith was looking at her suspiciously. She was quickly realising she'd underestimated him. A small-town PI shouldn't have been so quick at deduction. Sophie was careful not to change her posture or stop making eye contact. She didn’t want Keith to think she had something to hide.

But she wanted to get to Veronica as quickly as possible. The Caregiver in her felt a deep need to hold the girl in her arms, give her that bottle, and soothe her to sleep. She was afraid that too much waiting or conversation would push Veronica over her limits, and have her crying again.

Sometimes being frank was the best and most disarming option.

"I'm not sure how to put this discreetly, but I think we both know that Veronica is wet, and she's been having this problem a lot, hasn't she? I sometimes help young women who experience these problems with personal hygiene. Did you know your daughter has a very nasty rash?" Sophie sighed. "I think she's had trouble going to you about this, perhaps because you're her father, but I've promised to help her with staying clean and clearing up her skin. That's what I was referring to earlier when I mentioned moisturising. I wanted to save Veronica's feelings."

"We've had a long conversation about Veronica's future, Veronica and I,” Sophie said. “I know she’s exhausted right now. I’d love for the three of us to sit down together and talk this over. Maybe tomorrow. But for now I promised her I'd help with her rash. I’ll only stay a minute.”

Sophie made her way towards Veronica, who was still holding the glass of warm milk. Mr Mars looked startled, almost as if she’d slapped him.

Mr Mars spluttered a little, but recovered more quickly than Sophie would have thought. “Honestly, Ms. Devereaux, I think Veronica is old enough to look after that part of her personal hygiene on her own, so I really don’t get involved any more than a father would generally.” His face was reddening slightly. “I was not aware that she wasn’t attending to it properly, but I’m also confused as to how you know this. She’s capable of caring for herself. Veronica is one of the most capable girls of her age that I know.”

Veronica’s lip was trembling. “Dad, I don’t...” She drew in a breath. “It’s between me and Sophie.”

Mr Mars looked hard at Sophie, his cheeks reddening. “You’re an adult now,” he said. “And you’ll be going to college to soon, Veronica. You’re a tough nut. The best thing we can do is encourage your resilience. You don’t want to depend on others, do you?”

Veronica had turned her face away. “No, Dad,” she said softly, sounding defeated. “I don’t.”

She made for her bedroom, and Sophie followed her. No matter what Mr Mars felt, she couldn’t leave Veronica alone, not now. She had to soothe her and let her know she wasn’t alone. Sophie didn’t expect her to be utterly independent, and never would.

She put down the shopping at the door of Veronica’s room, and held her arms out to Veronica, who was clearly struggling with some big emotions. Veronica fell into her embrace at once. 

“Oh, darling,” Sophie whispered. She gathered Veronica into her arms, wishing she could carry her. Instead, she guided her to the bed, and held her close, letting Veronica rest her head on Sophie’s chest. Veronica hid her face, her breath trembling.

Sophie’s pulse thrummed in her throat. Mr Mars' dismissal of Veronica's needs and his insistence that she care for herself had infuriated her. Sophie knew Veronica was doing her utmost to take care of herself and to make her father proud, and the result was that the Little was stressed to breaking point and struggling to take care of herself.

But she didn't say any of that to Veronica. Her priority was the Little, and making her feel as safe and comfortable as she could, especially now that she was crying again.

"I've got you, precious, I've got you." Sophie rubbed circles on Veronica's back. Reaching around the girl, she extracted the bottle from the bag of shopping with one hand.

Awkwardly, with Veronica’s face still pressed into her chest, Sophie reached around her to open the bottle and pour the milk from the cup into it.

Veronica's sobs had subsided, and Sophie brought the bottle to her lips, stroking the girl's hair back from her face. She felt Veronica latch on, taking a few anxious sucks. Sophie guided Veronica's head back into a more comfortable position onto her pillows. Veronica snuffled around the bottle, and Sophie found a tissue on the bedside table with which to dry Veronica's face. The girl felt small in her arms, her face anxious and overwrought.

"It's going to be all right, darling. No matter what happens, I'll be there when you need me. We're going to work this out. You and I are very, very clever, and we can solve this." Sophie smoothed back Veronica's hair. "And your father loves you very much, even if he's struggling to show it right now."

Sophie kissed Veronica's forehead. She thought Mr Mars would come around, but she hoped it would be sooner rather than later. She didn't want Veronica to go through any more trauma.

“I hope so,” Veronica said, her voice raw. “This is going to kill him. It’s killing me.”

“Oh, sweet girl.” Sophie sighed. “I know.” She patted Veronica’s back and bottom, feeling the heavy diaper, and decided to concentrate on the practical problem for now. She murmured soothingly to Veronica, letting her know she was going to get her changed. Veronica squirmed at that, but was very pliant as Sophie began to undress her.

The rash was still there, and she applied plenty of the cream she'd bought before taping on a fresh diaper. It was a thick one, and Sophie hoped Veronica would sleep straight through the night and wouldn't wake up because she was too wet.

"My sweet girl," she said, as Veronica lowered her legs. "Look at you, all fresh and cosy. I'll lie down beside you for a moment, until you get sleepy."

She rested her head on the pillow beside Veronica. The bed was narrow, but she could fit beside her for just a moment. Veronica was so small. The bottle slipped from Veronica's lips, and Sophie replaced it with the pacifier. She stroked Veronica's cheek with her finger, watching as the girl's eyes grew heavier and heavier.

*

Mr Mars was still in the living room, the TV on low, when Sophie came out of Veronica’s room. His face showed some contrition and his body language was less tense.

“Is she doing okay?” he asked at once.

Sophie didn’t want to answer him in depth. It felt like a betrayal to Veronica to say much when she wasn’t there. She settled on saying, “She was upset tonight, but she's drifting off now. I hope she'll sleep through the night.”

Mr Mars watched as Sophie put her shoes back on and picked up her coat and bag.

He coughed and said, “It’s not that I don’t care about her needs. It’s that I’m worried that catering to some of them is holding her back. You probably figured it out yourself, but she’s immensely talented. She’d make an amazing addition to any law enforcement team. I don’t want her to miss out on those opportunities. She’s still so young, Ms. Devereaux, but she’s got a bright future. I want to prepare her as much as I can.”

"I agree with you. She's a very talented young woman, and her future is very bright." Sophie gave Mr Mars a small smile. "I assure you, I don't want to do anything that would hold her back.” She took a breath. “I’d like the three of us to get together, perhaps tomorrow, and discuss her options.”

Mr Mars swallowed. “Yes, of course,” he said, after a moment. “If Veronica wants to.”

“We’ll arrange a time,” Sophie said firmly. “I must be off now. Early start tomorrow.” She took a breath, reminding herself to be friendly. “Have a good evening, Mr Mars.”

Outside, she sighed, realising she'd left her own car in favour of going with Veronica. She called a cab, texting Parker to let her know she would chat with her soon. 

She could still feel Veronica's warmth in her arms, and hear her rough voice saying that the situation was killing her. Sophie wanted to change all that – in her heart, she wanted to change the whole world so no Littles would ever suffer again.


End file.
